Nurse as a Cultural Broker
Aside from taking care of sick patients, a nurse has several roles in the community. One of the roles that are evident from the videos is that a nurse is also a cultural broker. In one of these articles, the practice of female genital mutilation is discussed with examples of places where the act performed (Razor’s Edge, 2015). The cultural practice is dangerous and uncomfortable for men and women in the societies where it is practiced. A nurse has the role of mediating and championing for cultural change through educating the affected population on the negative effects of this practice and encouraging them to abandon it.
In the second article, Cynthia Gorney (2011) explores the secret practice of wedding young girls in Rajasthan. She provides a sad story of some of the girls sold out to their husbands, some the age of their grandfathers. In this second scenario, nurses can act as cultural brokers to report any of the secret marriages to the authorities. In addition, nurses have an obligation to ensure that the families in these regions get the necessary health education on the disadvantages of wedding girls at an early age. Promoting a positive cultural change would reduce deaths associated with pregnancies at an early age (Gorney, 2011).
Appropriate nursing interventions to apply
The most appropriate nursing intervention that can be used to reduce the prevalence of female genital mutilation and young brides is health education (Razor’s Edge, 2015). Nurses could educate the communities involved on the health risks associated with these practices. In addition, the nursing staff needs to encourage a positive cultural change and act as positive change agents. The other appropriate nursing intervention is the provision of specialized care for the victims of these practices. Some of the patients of female genital mutilation bleed to death during delivery or have poor outcomes. Appropriate nursing care could reduce the number of patients with these complications through promoting more healthy cultural rights (Elkin & Perry, 2007).
Feelings when viewing the Video
When watching the video on young brides and female genital mutilation, there was a feeling of pity for the girls. These victims were almost always against the act, but their rights were denied in the name of cultural practice. I was also angry at the perpetrators who seemed to take advantage of the naïve girls. The poor conditions and backgrounds of the girls that were subjected to the practices further aggravated these feelings. Lastly, the videos made me sad because there was nothing I could do for the girls in the film.
ICN Code and ANA Code of Ethics and values as Registered Nurses
The ICN code and the ANA code of ethics and values reflect our values as registered nurses. These codes dictate how registered nurses behave in their line of work and how they relate to other individuals in society. These codes are useful in determining the interventions such as those discussed. In fact, nurses have a duty to protect these codes and ensure that they act within their provisions. The ICN and ANA codes portray nurses as being socially responsible and the cultural brokers in society. They should offer appropriate nursing care and health education to all communities without judging them or creating conflicts in their areas of work.
References
Elkin, M., & Perry, A. (2007). Nursing interventions & clinical skills (4th Ed.). St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby. Gorney, C. (2011). Child Brides. Web.
Razor’s Edge – The Controversy of Female Genital Mutilation. (2015). Web.